The Shards hair department, led by nine-time Emmy nominee Valerie Jackson, spent the better part of a Los Angeles-set period drama building a world in which no one reaches for Aquanet. Set in 1981 and following a 17-year-old version of Bret Easton Ellis during his final year at the elite Buckley prep school, the series arrives on FX and Hulu on 5 August, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and will also stream on Disney+ internationally, Deadline reports. Ellis published the novel in print in 2023 after first releasing it as a serialised audiobook on his podcast.
Ryan Murphy’s adaptation is packed with period signifiers: absent parents, early-MTV bangers, Satanic Panic serial killers and, in episode six, a homecoming queen makeover that puts the hair team’s work front and centre. Jackson sat down to break down the key choices behind each character’s look across the nine-episode season.
The Shards Hair Department’s Ground Rules: No Shellac, No Aquanet
Murphy’s first instruction was to avoid the stereotypical ’80s shorthand (shellacked claw bangs, aggressive perms) that tend to read as later in the decade. ‘I made sure that we definitely used the tools from the ’80s,’ says Jackson, ‘so every hairstyle on the show is either a blow dry with a hairbrush or with Hot Sticks.’ Hot Sticks are flexible electric rollers from Conair that were prominent in the ’80s and ’90s. Real heat from a curling iron, she explains, ‘closes the cuticle and doesn’t allow the more natural, fluffier textures of this time to shine.’ So the cast mimed curling iron techniques on screen while Jackson worked with rollers off it.
As for Aquanet, which sits prominently on Debbie’s well-stocked vanity? ‘Absolutely not,’ Jackson says, with a laugh. The team did consult with props on which period-specific products would appear on screen. What Jackson actually used on everyone was product from Stephen Knoll, the New York City salon. Kaia Gerber, who plays Susan, told Jackson that her mother had been going to Knoll since the ’90s and used his products and hairsprays. ‘She connected us, and then it ended up being the perfect product for the show,’ says Jackson.
Character by Character: How the Hair Tells the Story
Susan, played by Gerber, is the self-assured class president whose long, side-parted waves are always precise. Jackson drew directly from Gerber’s mother for the reference. ‘Her mom was definitely an inspiration because she’s got beautiful hair,’ Jackson says. ‘If I was curious if a certain style would look good on her, I would look at some references of her mom in the same style.’ The goal was a texture so convincing the audience would wonder whether Susan had a perm. Jackson credits Hot Sticks with the ‘silky’ result.
Debbie, played by Hayes Warner, carries bleached-blonde shoulder-length hair with sometimes visible dark roots, a signal of privilege and status. Jackson adjusted Warner’s already-bleached hair to the specific icier platinum tones of the era, cutting front layers to feather naturally with an easy blowout. Beyond the scripted Debbie Harry reference, Jackson also looked to Michelle Pfeiffer’s Elvira Hancock in Scarface (a Murphy request) as well as Diane Lane and Brooke Shields. ‘It was really fun to look to icons who are still icons today and apply those looks to our young cast,’ she says.
Evan Rachel Wood plays Liz, Debbie’s former Indiana beauty queen mother, whose straight bangs and blonde lob are a direct nod to Pfeiffer’s 1983 look. ‘Every time we put that wig on, she instantly would be like, “There she is, ready to go,”‘ says Jackson.
Robert, played by Homer Gere, is the mysterious new classmate whose hair evolves in step with his shifting role in the group. Jackson took inspiration from A-ha for the slicked-back style Robert sports on first appearance. His school look softens into a feathery side part, and as he becomes more embedded with the core group, the hair gains volume and feathering. Mousse provides the foundation. ‘I would do a round brush blowout into the shape, and then I would lock it in with hairspray,’ Jackson explains. ‘Everyone was hairsprayed to high heaven. A lot of times, I did not need to redo anybody because their hair would stay because of so much hairspray.’
Debbie and Susan’s parts shift at meaningful moments too. When Debbie feels threatened in episode four, she pivots to a side part that Jackson reads as showing ‘a softer side, maybe more of a vulnerability.’ Susan switches to a middle part for the dance-off episode, borrowing Debbie’s defining style at the exact moment she steals her thunder by winning the competition.
For episode six’s centrepiece makeover, Rhonda’s straight dark hair is transformed into bouncy curls, twisted up on one side and tucked behind the other ear. ‘When she has her makeover and is going to be homecoming queen, that’s when you get to see more of a softer curl and a feathered bang,’ says Jackson. Rhonda, like everyone else on set, got there via Hot Sticks, not a hot iron in sight.
